A mother-of-two who works full-time as an intensive care nurse while studying for her PhD broke down in tears as she talked about her financial struggles.
Mackenzie Moan from Pennsylvania revealed that even though she and her husband were both making “good money,” they were still living “paycheck to paycheck” and only had a few hundred dollars for two weeks after paying their bills.
She recently went viral after posting a video on TikTok sharing her frustrations about her family’s lack of money.
In the clip, the healthcare worker cried as she explained that she and her husband Steve earned a decent salary and were “not living beyond their means,” yet barely had enough money to get by.
A mother of two who works full-time as an intensive care nurse while studying for her master’s degree broke down in tears as she opened up about her financial struggles
She revealed that despite her and her husband both making “good money,” they were living “paycheck to paycheck” and only had a few hundred dollars for the next two weeks.
Mackenzie Moan, from Pennsylvania, recently went viral after she posted a video on TikTok sharing her frustrations about her family’s lack of money
“I feel like my husband and I are doing everything right,” she said to the camera, her eyes welling up.
‘We both have good jobs. I’m a registered nurse, I work full time, he works full time.
“We just got paid last Friday and paid the mortgage, did some shopping, put some gas in the car, and guys, it’s Tuesday and we still have about $200 to $300 to go until next Friday.”
The mother explained that she and Steve, along with their two sons, live on a 1,100-square-foot ranch with three bedrooms and one bathroom.
“We don’t live in a big house,” she continued. “Someone has to do something to change this because I make good money, he makes good money, we don’t live beyond our means, we live paycheck to paycheck.
“I’m in school full time, I work full time, and he works more than full time, he works overtime every week. I don’t know what to do. I’m so stressed, this isn’t how it should be.’
Mackenzie admitted that she was once “a homeless drug addict” but explained that she was able to “turn her life around” when she decided to study medicine.
She remembered telling herself throughout her education, “Things will get better when I graduate and start working.”
“I thought I could pay my bills and not have to check my bank account when my kids said, ‘Mom, can we go to the movies this weekend?'” she continued.
‘I thought we would feel comfortable, but that’s not the case at all. Growing up, we were told, “Go to college, get a degree, work to support your family.” Here we are. Has that happened, what now?’
The mother explained that she and Steve, along with their two sons, live on a 1,100-square-foot ranch with three bedrooms and one bathroom.
“We don’t live in a big house,” she said. “I make good money, he makes good money, we don’t live beyond our means, but we live paycheck to paycheck.” She and her husband are seen
Mackenzie said she often saw people online talking about “out of control prices” but felt like they had “no influence or power to change things.”
She encouraged her followers to share her video and continue posting about it online, hoping that if enough people spoke out, it could lead to some kind of change.
“Maybe someone who can do something about it will see one of our videos,” she said.
“I just wanted to share our struggle so that maybe someone else could relate. We just have to support each other until things change. Thanks for looking.’
Mackenzie’s video was viewed more than 1.3 million times and received thousands of comments from people related to what she was going through.
“I promise it’s not just you. It’s all of America,” one person wrote.
“We have 98 cents in our savings,” said another. ‘It’s so rough here. We are all depressed and drowning.”
“Wages are not keeping pace with inflation,” another commentator agreed.
“Honey right now is $200 between checks rich. It’s bad here,” read a fourth comment.
“Our country has failed us,” said another user, while a fifth added: “Overtaxed and underpaid. It gets harder every year to survive financially.”
Many others thanked Mackenzie for sharing her story and opened up about their own struggles, reminding her that she was “not alone.”
“This honestly makes me feel a lot better,” someone else added. “As if the fact that everyone is struggling should mean something, this is so sad.”
Mackenzie’s video has been viewed more than 1.3 million times and received thousands of comments from people related to what she was going through
While most people were supportive of Mackenzie, the video also generated some negative comments. In a follow-up, Mackenzie responded to some hate comments
She adds that “just because she’s stressed” doesn’t mean she isn’t also “grateful for what she does have.”
While most people were supportive of Mackenzie, the video also received some negative comments, which now appear to have been largely deleted.
In a follow-up, Mackenzie responded to some of the hate comments, saying, “Obviously based on the video, I have plenty of issues that I’m stressed out about in my life.
‘I don’t have to worry about this. I don’t owe anyone an explanation, especially not to a stranger on the internet.
“I didn’t make that video asking for help or an overview of my finances, I didn’t ask for sympathy, I didn’t ask for anything in that video. The internet is just wild. I just think it’s crazy.’
She adds that “just because she’s stressed” doesn’t mean she isn’t also “grateful for what she does have.”
She also spoke to someone who encouraged her to “sell the artwork” hanging on her wall in the background of the first video.
“They came from Walmart and cost about $30 to $40,” she said. ‘I’m not in a situation where I have to sell everything.
“I know I’m in a much better situation than a lot of people, I understand that, because I’ve been on the other side.
“I’ve been there and I’m extremely grateful for what I have and what I’ve worked for. Yes, I’m extremely fortunate to have all these things, but I’m still allowed to be stressed about our financial situation.
‘You don’t have to mean anything to others, if you don’t like it, keep scrolling. What we’re not going to do is make assumptions based on a ten-minute video you saw on the internet. Don’t assume you know everything about my life.’
She concluded by adding that she was “absolutely overwhelmed” by the “kindness” she also received, calling those who shared their own stories in the comments extremely “courageous.”
“The point was, we’re all stressed and we’re all struggling, so we need to come together,” she said. “We just need more kindness, love and acceptance.”